CEV Men's European Volleyball Championship 2021 | Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Poland

  • It would be interesting if Czech eliminated France.

    The chances are slim though.

    Czech Republic defeated France 4 years

    ago so they had practice eliminating them. :gone:

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • OMG, France, the newest Olympics champion, got eliminated in 1/4...

    What a drama.

  • Lukas Vasina will be a star very soon, he's having MVP-worthy tournament so far and had MVP-worthy game against France today. The question is which team will buy out his contract in Karlovarsko after a tournament, because he's playing amazingly both offensively and defensively.


    Obviously, this loss is a huge suprise, but keep in mind that French team had very short preparation (they started their camp like a weak later than Poland for example), and according to everyone they barely played volleyball actually before friendlies against Ukraine. So it looks like that they overthought their training schedule and weren't able to keep their Tokyo shape over a month later without serious preps. They're still the biggest winner of 2021 season tho.

  • In 1/8. ;) It's 2017 all over again. But hey, do they care after Tokio? I wouldn't.

    If they don't care, they won't send their start roster here

  • Lukas Vasina and Lagumdzija are two young rising stars I will keep an eye on.

  • Ok, so I think we were over critical for Russia. I think France and Russia are on the same boat Olympic champion and runner-up. Russia has it even worse to be honest as both their main and backup Opp are not playing and which team in the world can cope with this if both their starting Opps are absent? With the situation they are in, I think Russia is showing a decent performance, but against the Poles I don't think this will be enough..

  • Ok, so I think we were over critical for Russia. I think France and Russia are on the same boat Olympic champion and runner-up. Russia has it even worse to be honest as both their main and backup Opp are not playing and which team in the world can cope with this if both their starting Opps are absent? With the situation they are in, I think Russia is showing a decent performance, but against the Poles I don't think this will be enough..

    Knockout is one game thing. Poland vs Russia is a tough match, I'd say 50%-50% chances to each team.

  • Without the serving subs of Russia from the olympics, I doubt their kind of game will be effective against Poland.


    This is a tournament Poland shouldn't lose now as I feel they have the game to put all teams left in trouble. If Russia can't find the right balance then other teams could find many ways to stagger Russia while they're weak including the teams that are not considered contenders.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Lukas Vasina will be a star very soon, he's having MVP-worthy tournament so far and had MVP-worthy game against France today. The question is which team will buy out his contract in Karlovarsko after a tournament, because he's playing amazingly both offensively and defensively.


    Obviously, this loss is a huge suprise, but keep in mind that French team had very short preparation (they started their camp like a weak later than Poland for example), and according to everyone they barely played volleyball actually before friendlies against Ukraine. So it looks like that they overthought their training schedule and weren't able to keep their Tokyo shape over a month later without serious preps. They're still the biggest winner of 2021 season tho.

    Would you mind giving a brief introduction of the key players of the Czech team? It’s literally my first time watching them and they’re impressive. I just wonder whether it’s their breakthrough season or they have been playing good volleyball for quite a while but just lacked the opportunity to play in the important tournaments? And where do their key players play professionally?


    The early loss of the French team was a big surprise but I agree it’s absolutely understandable. They just won the most important gold medal of their lives in less than a month before, and in a completely different time zone. It’s really hard for them to push themselves to their best form again to play for this ECH, it really doesn’t mean a lot to them as their spot for WCH is secured anyway. (But I still enjoy watching NG losing despite being a fan of Clevenot & Patry.:P)

  • Would you mind giving a brief introduction of the key players of the Czech team? It’s literally my first time watching them and they’re impressive. I just wonder whether it’s their breakthrough season or they have been playing good volleyball for quite a while but just lacked the opportunity to play in the important tournaments? And where do their key players play professionally?

    Sure.


    Well, I think this result is a consequence of four factors.


    Firstly, they play at home that gives extra bonus to the level of play in most of cases, and that's the case as well here.


    Secondly, this team seems to be in perfect shape so local players from Czech league are playing better than ever, probably, like Monik, Zajicek or Polak.


    Thirdly, Czech team has always had a group of solid players playing abroad, like Hadrava (2nd OPP of Civitanova past two years, one of best opposites of Polish league earlier, Jastrzębski Węgiel the next year), Finger (2nd OPP of Piacenza, in the past a leader of Friedrichshafen, next year Qatar IIRC), Bartos (really solid Ligue 1 player), Janouch (a year ago he was a setter of Friedrichshafen) or Galabov (played in Poland last year).


    Fourthly, Czech Republic has improved a lot in terms of being decent at youth level: they were really good in 97/98 generation (with Donovan Dzavoronok), they won ECH U19 and silver at ECH U20 in 99/00 generation, they won silver at ECH U18 in 01/02 generation and a silver at ECH U18 in 03/04 generation. Basically, past 5-6 years they're much better at junior level than volleyball major powers like France or Serbia, and sooner or later it has to bring fruits to the senior volleyball as well. Lukas Vasina (1999) was one of the leaders of this junior team that won Youth European Championship 4 years ago, so the fact that in age 22 he has made apparently huge strides during NT season to become a leader of his team isn't a huge suprise. I don't know if he can keep this level, but he'll be a really good player in years to come.


    But what's the most interesting, is the fact that Czech Republic plays without its best player, Donovan Dzavoronok (Monza, one of the best offensive OHs of Italian league), because he didn't want to play due to load management. And with Dzavoronok and Vasina playing like crazy, this Czech team would be even on paper really good. And like it was already mentioned, they were able while full-strength to commit some major suprises like eliminating France four years ago at ECH (with 20yo Dzavoronok). If Dzavoronok changes his mind and play in NT again, I wouldn't be suprised if this Czech team at one point (probably 3-4 years from now) improves to the Slovenian level from past few years. Finger, Hadrava, Dzavoronok, Vasina, some solid local players and 01-03 generations pretty successful at junior level can create a really decent team. With this personnel right now, this result is an insane upset, although - like I said - after the fact, I don't think France treated preparations for ECH in a right way.

  • Thank you so much!

    With the Czech & Turkish teams becoming more competitive, the competition among European men’s teams will be even more severe as it seems Bulgaria is the only team on a downfall.

  • Do we have a link for Polandx Russia? Geez the atmosphere for this match must be crazy later :cheesy:


    PS. Serbia is the first SF :box:

  • It looks like a tough match for Russia without a real OPP.

    The set #1 seems a blowout.

  • It looks like a tough match for Russia without a real OPP.

    The set #1 seems a blowout.

    Yikes as expected. Do you have any link?